I REALLY wanted to love this book as I am a massive fan of the heart stopper series but it just fell kind of flat for me. I was really excited to have an Ace/Aro main character but all of the characters in this felt a little 2 Dimensional. I didn't care really about them and found a lot of them very cliched, and like the author was trying to put diversity for diversities sake. Also, not a shakespeare fan so all the shakespeare went straight over my head and I found a lot of the plot repetitive.

Aside from being hilarious and full of vibrant, lovable characters each with their own unique story, 'Loveless' also gave me lots of food for thought. Before hearing about 'Loveless', aromantic and asexual sexualities were something I vaguely knew of by name but not nature. The synopsis really got me wondering (plenty of thinking time during lockdown!), especially about asexuality. Could that be me?

As a questioning person, I was exceptionally interested in this book. Almost desperately interested, actually. Rather naïvely, I hoped that reading 'Loveless' would be some sort of shortcut ticket to figuring myself out, which didn't quite happen (obviously, because that's unrealistic). The protagonist, Georgia, is both aromantic and asexual (like Oseman herself), so obviously our experiences wouldn't have aligned exactly, and as 'Loveless' so eloquently puts it: "The aromantic and asexual [sexuality] spectrums weren’t just straight lines. They were radar charts with at least a dozen different axes." Oseman did a great job straddling the line between providing educational info while staying in character/style, and she’s also signposted to some great resources at the end. I’m glad Oseman is writing (not only here, but also in interviews and other platforms too) about a sexuality that’s been (too) long obscured and gaslighted in today’s romance-obsessed mass media.

I absolutely adored all the friendships in ‘Loveless’, and how platonic love is given the spotlight it deserves. It also helped that each character is so distinct, especially Georgia and her roommate Rooney, who we get to know most deeply out of the secondary characters. (Personally, Rooney was my favourite.) The message that platonic love isn’t somehow lesser than romantic love really resonates with me, especially given how hard romance gets pushed by societal conventions and corporate marketing. I don’t think I’ve ever been in love with someone who wasn’t just an idealised version of a person, but my heart has never swelled so much as when I think about my best friends. That’s not to say there’s no romance in ‘Loveless’ – I really enjoyed the splash of sapphic enemies-to-lovers too! Peak yearning mixed in with some ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ mixed in with two extremely chaotic personalities. Love that for us!

The plotline isn’t wildly unpredictable, though there were certainly a few surprises up Oseman’s sleeves. It leans towards being a character-driven novel, which I think worked well as the plot largely hinges on the dynamics and interactions between the major characters, rather than some external drama.

An extra bit of fun for me was that ‘Loveless’ is set at Durham University, my alma mater, so picking out the references and visualising everything in my head was an engaging and intensely nostalgic game. I loved that the Durham Pride Society was featured prominently in ‘Loveless’. While I wasn’t involved with them during my time at university (one of my regrets, actually), a conversation I had with their Welfare Officer was so important to me and my own ‘queer journey’ that it makes me so happy to read about the Pride society members in ‘Loveless’ being just as kind to Georgia.

I’m really glad this book exists, because it’s made me comfortable to question and start unpacking how I feel, as well as learning more about other queer people. There’s no rush nor even necessity to label myself but I’m glad that I’ve opened myself to the consideration!

I'm keeping this brief because I want to let the own-voices reviewers shine on this one.

LOVELESS is the story many have been waiting for, welcome representation for aro-ace readers with a character discovering their sexual identity and it was a complex unfurling of realisation for Georgia. Georgia had this screaming desire to fit in, get her firsts under her belt until she was faced with actually doing that and the story was opening up of consciousness of identity.

There were lots of first year uni experiences in here that were fun. Georgia was surrounded by a bunch of friends, two of whom made an uncomfortable triangle of bubbling rivalry, a bit of sparring but also friendship goodness. It was about the experience of trying to fit in and not quite succeeding; it was also about the fear of revealing yourself to others.

Overall, this was a read that revealed an experience that is important and I valued being able to read this greatly.

Thank you to Harper Collins for the early review copy.

Put simply, Alice Oseman's forth novel is a delight. Writing a book which tackles the exploration of a character's sexuality is not necessarily an easy task, but the care taken and lengths gone to explain the complexities surrounding sexuality really made it such a warm comforting book to read. I was cautious going into it as it promised a lot but as a young ace person, I was intrigued and keen to read an experience I could relate to. I'm delighted to say that, for me, Alice Oseman wholly delivered.

The characters are, truly, at the core of this book and they are so delightful in their own ways. We're immediately introduced to a band of three very close friends - Georgia, Pip and Jason - and their relationships with each other are wonderfully established. Whilst initially, I felt like Georgia's voice felt a little immature, as I settled into the book I think her voice was solidified. As a whole, I found Georgia as a protagonist is likeable despite some of the choices she makes. She goes through quite a lot of personal shifts throughout the book as she is working things out and it's messy. She starts off insecure in her identity and she has to go through different experiences in order to find her feet. The start of her university/adult life is so genuinely messy in such an authentic way and I loved that portrayal of early adulthood.

Whilst I did adore the core friendship dynamic, I think my favourite character comes in the form of Rooney - Georgia's university roommate. Her behaviour when she is first introduced prompts a lot of questions and I was worried that, by the end, it wouldn't all make sense but it does; she provides an explanation. As the novel unfolds, Rooney is revealed to be complex and her characterisation shifts throughout and (aside from Georgia) I think she undergoes some of the most important character development in the book and that just made me adore her.

Georgia's sexuality is at the core of the novel, and similarly to the start of her life at university, it is complicated and messy. Alice Oseman goes to lengths to show that sexuality isn't necessarily an easy thing to work out and, for some people, it takes a while and different experiences to begin to find your authentic self. I don't particularly want to get into spoilers, but it is fairly well known that this is a book about being aromantic-asexual and as someone who has gone through a similar kind of experience as Georgia regarding my identity, it felt to me authentic and real. I think that it was handled well and it was comforting to see some specific conversations surrounding being aro-ace play out on the page. One aspect of these conversations is that the point is made that sexuality is an individual personal experience - not everyone experiences the same thing in the same way. Sexuality is complex and vast and it is handled very well.

Whilst Georgia's experience as a young aro-ace woman sits at the core of a lot of this book, there are many other LGBTQIA+ identities included. And whilst this is definitely not a book about romance there is a little bit of an enemies-to-lovers side plot going on in the background.

Amongst all of the messiness in this book, it is a book about love in all of its many forms. But the portrayal of love between friends was unbelievably heartwarming and wholesome. Friendships are shown to be just as chaotic as some romantic relationships can be and in this novel, the intense love that the friendship group shares genuinely nearly moved me to tears. This is one of the only books I've read that gives love between friends the same, if not a greater weight, than romance. Whilst the book's title suggests something completely different (and I'm still not sure I "like" the title), Georgia's life is absolutely full of love and its heartwarming.

I wouldn't necessarily say that this book is about the plot, because the character development throughout is so important. People do questionable and downright wrong things (talk about peer pressure which nearly crosses the believability line), but by the end of the book they have (mostly) been called out, have apologised and learned from their previous actions. Nobody is perfect in this book but by the end they are beginning to learn.

Despite the caution I took going into this book, I think it is a beautiful story about the many different forms that love takes and how complicated it can be. But Alice Oseman delivers it in an authentic way which was a joy to read. Everything about it just feels authentic - the friendships, the potential romances, Georgia's anger and frustration at the world around her - it felt so genuine. This was the best novel by Alice Oseman I've read and I highly, highly recommend it.

As an aro and ace myself, it was great reading this book. Georgia sounds so much like my teen self trying to discover herself, I wish I had read something like this in my own teens. I even got to cry in a good way but also wishing I had a Roonie too in my life. It was an amazing book.

Thank you Harper Collins and NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

As always, I absolutely loved Alice Oseman's writing and this book. She always writes such authentic characters and I love reading about them and their stories.

I've read a few books with asexual/aromantic side characters before, but it has generally only briefly been mentioned. It's important to so many people to be able to read about a main character who is both of these identities. I wish it didn't treat romantic and sexual attraction as being so black and white, with all asexual or aromantic characters experiencing none of this type of attraction at all, but I think it's important to note that one book can't do everything and represent everyone. I hope this is one of the first of many books about asexual and aromantic characters.

The thing I loved most about this book was the importance that it placed on friendships and how a friendship is just as important and necessary to someone as any other relationship. They aren't easy and they require work, but they are beautiful things and can be found in unexpected places in unexpected ways. I loved watching the characters and their relationships, platonic or otherwise, grow throughout the book. The characters themselves all go on lots of their own individual journeys, making many mistakes and learning lots about themselves and the world along the way, but I particularly loved getting to the see them grow as a group. 

Overall, Loveless is a beautiful book about love and the many different forms that it can take and the many different places that it can be found.

This book has absolutely changed my life and I'm honestly not exaggerating on that part.

Alice Oseman has created a story that so many people should hear. The main character, Georgia, is on a self-discovery journey to figure out who she is as she starts college, makes friends with her roommate and actively tries to get her first kiss or active romantic relationship in a place where she can start anew.

With old friends, Jason and Pip, and new friends such as Rooney and Sunil, by her side, Georgia learns more about herself than she ever knew possible. Seeing her change from a frustrated and desperate individual to the more relaxed and carefree person that she became, I completely related to and loved Georgia's character and development throughout the book.

This book is beautiful in so many ways. I honestly felt my heart grow ten sizes bigger as I read about Georgia understanding and realising that what she feels isn't wrong or something to be annoyed/frustrated at. I could honestly feel the weight lift off of her shoulders as she finally felt comfortable being who she is surrounded by the people she loves, an aro-ace girl who loves her friends, Shakespeare, theatre, pizza/movie nights and so much more! (But not tea, she doesn't like tea and instead drinks hot chocolate!)

Thank you so much to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK and Alice Oseman for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review. I'm entirely grateful and will not be shutting up about this book for a good while

Alice Oseman's books are good, don't get me wrong. She writes well, characters are well rounded and likeable, there's a bit of mystery here and there. Loveless is no exception.
There's lots of important representation, self-exploration, navigating university stuff (a lot of it I related to in a huge way and it IS a good and important book). This book is going to be important for a lot of people, there's representation in here which is hardly ever seen in the genre let alone all of literature. So I would like to say kudos to Alice for that, it's going to help a lot of people.

But here's the thing. I don't know if I'm just getting older or what, but Alice's books, whilst good, seem to follow the same format every time. It's almost predictable what will happen because it's happened in all of her books before this.
These are great for a light read and great for important representation in the YA Community and the Literary community as a whole. But despite all of this, the book just felt a bit 'meh' to me. I'd like to see Alice do something a bit different (though of course, she can do what she wants to do!)

I liked it, but it fell a little flat for me.

Alice Oseman has done it again. I loved this book. The characters created are super relatable and I enjoy the asexual representation.

So, I'll be honest, I didn't have the highest expectations for this book. For whatever reason, Alice Oseman low-key bothers me, and I think Radio Silence is over hyped. But I did really really enjoy this, and I think its existence is pretty fucking revolutionary. I have never read a book that had the words aromantic and asexual on the page so much. I also loved that Georgia's lesbian best friend was like damn, we were struggling with something similar in our lack of attraction to men. Here for aroace girl and lesbian solidarity.
The story was just really beautiful, and I'm so excited for all the people that are going to feel so seen by this book.

Spectacular! How Alice Oseman explored the complex issue of sexuality, specifically being asexual, was amazing. It's was such a refreshing change to see representation, like most of her novels. The character development was a particular area that stood out because Alice achieves this with easy. She gives them depth, they aren't just generic characters to drive the plot forward. The emphasis on platonic love was amazing to see explored; as many YA books focus on romance. And finally! This book is so quintessential British in the best way! Not many books can grasp what real British Uni culture is like and she did it perfectly.

I love Alice's books a lot, for two big reasons. 1) They are books that would have meant to much to me when I was growing up and were exactly what I needed. 2) Having them now means I can make sure my students read them.

This story was just sublime! Georgia is an effortlessly relatable and very real main character - for as long as she can remember she's feasted on Romance in all forms, yet has never experienced it first hand. With her loving best friends at her side, maybe university will be the chance to find it - or maybe finally find herself?

One of Alice's greatest strengths is being able to create a cast of characters you wish were real and wish you were your friends. They live and breathe beyond the pages of the book they feature in. I really hope there's a follow-up to this because saying goodbye to them when I finished this book was so so hard.

A true modern classic and a total must-read. Alice is not only the voice of a generation, she is a voice of those who haven't had enough of a chance to be listened to before now. Essential.

Having devoured Alice Oseman’s previous books, I was so looking forward to her latest release. I’ve read YA, and she is one of the few voices who actually feel relevant and in tuned to being a teenager. There aren’t any issues she doesn’t cover, and her approach to teenage characters feel real and accurate. She’s definitely a talented writer, and I recommend her books to anyone.

Loveless feels like a familiar book, but an exploration of Oseman’s style. The way she explores Asexuality is thoughtful and well researched. It’s not often you see aro/ace books, and Georgia’s realisation and coming to terms with it hit emotionally well. There were times where I was relating to her feelings too well, and it definitely made me question a few things!

University life was portrayed realistically, and as always the platonic friendships are magnificent. This is Oseman’s strongest skill. She can craft believable relationships in their good and bad times, but showing how platonic love is just as powerful as any thing.

However, as much as I sing Oseman’s praises, I was also a little... underwhelmed.

The message was a bit too on the nose. Some chapters felt like an essay on asexuality, what it is, and how it’s okay to be it, which is fine, but it was brought up over and over again ad nauseam where it felt like the narrative had to stop to deliver this message, and the self loathing Georgia felt was way too much at times. I know she’s figuring things out, but some parts felt too extreme. Also, I couldn’t help it, but it also got extremely soppy. I know the “friends are more important than romance” message is important, but it was way too over the top, bordering on cringe.

Despite my few negatives, I highly recommend Loveless and any of Oseman’s books. It’s an enjoyable coming of age story, with LGBTQIA rep, and friendships that will warm your heart. If you love this, give Radio Silence and Heartstopper a go, and you’ll fall in love.

‘Loveless’ is Alice Oseman’s fourth novel and once again she brings to life new, relatable characters who are far imperfectly perfect as they try to navigate their first year of university. The story focuses on Georgia who wants university to be the place where she finds love and finally her first kiss; she knows romance from films and fanfics but has never felt that attraction in real life. Georgia makes a new friend in Rooney, her confident in every way roommate and she has Pip and Jason from home to keep her company in the confusing new world of university.
As everyone else is finding their stride, new friendships and new relationships Georgia starts to feel more alone than ever and ultimately loveless. Through a new friend Sunil she is shown the entire spectrum of sexualities and begins to learn about terms like ‘asexual’ and ‘aromantic’; ones that might help her accept and embrace who she is. Alongside this beautiful story of friendship and self- acceptance is in true Oseman style a modern comedy of errors, a little bit of Shakespeare and some brilliant film references.
I really didn’t want this book to end and I couldn’t stop thinking about the characters afterwards because they are so vividly written. Alice Oseman’s latest release will make your heart ache and then soar in a way only she can.

This contemporary coming of age story focuses on Georgia and her relationship with her friends in the transition from high school to uni, and their first year navigating uni life and loves together.

We meet Georgia and best friends Pip and Jason at their high school prom, where they discuss Georgia’s seven year crush on Tommy, the hottest guy at school. Georgia has never kissed anyone, and they think now is the best time. When it comes to it Georgia panics and backs out.

There three friends have all applied to attend Durham uni, and Georgia finds herself roomed with Rooney, a lively party-girl, who spends her time drinking, clubbing and staying out all night with boys. She makes it her mission to set Georgia up with someone. Encouraged by Rooney, Georgia attempts to find love only see old friendships tested and broken.

Georgia’s self-discovery comes about through meeting Sunil, the asexual president of the Pride Soc at uni. Georgia’s enlightenment at her own sexuality explains her past and present feelings.

This is an unusually book in that the lead character is aro-ace, a massively underrepresented sexuality type in literature. Georgia’s coming out story is written with empathy, interwoven with teenage friendships, feelings and discussion of frank issues. This is a super novel for young adults and mid-teens, it is not overly graphic in nature, but features relevant topics, perfect for not just young people exploring and discovering their own sexuality, but also others looking to understand ace and aro better.

Many thanks for the opportunity to read and review this ARC

Loveless is an absolutely beautiful story about growing up, accepting yourself and being true to yourself. It's a book that will resonate with many, and is a vital read.

I've got to be honest: it's hard for me to be objective about Loveless. For an aro-ace girl reading her first piece of own-voices representation, this book is pure magic.

Oseman has this effortless way of writing which makes you feel like you're having a conversation with friends. It's natural and engaging and welcoming, like you're in on all the in-jokes. While protagonist Georgia's university experiences have been understandably YA-ified, there was a lot I recognised from my own uni days. I loved watching her friendships blossom, her emotional development and the twists and turns of the obscenely-cute queer romance side plot.

The focus of Loveless is very much coming out, coming to terms with your identity and the joys of platonic love. At times, the focus can feel a little blinkered. But I also feel that aro-ace experience is so under-represented in general, that sometimes it's important to share these stories in their purest, most literal form. And there was still plenty of plot to keep me turning those pages.

Loveless was a real joy to read, engaging and affirming - it's an immediate favourite.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, for gifting me a copy of this book for review.

I want to start off by saying that I am not Aromantic or Asexual so I can’t really say how accurate this book is in that respect. I wish that aro/ace ownvoice reviewers got priority for this book as it is a book where they are represented.

I am so happy to see a book with aro+ace main character! I hope that people will love this book and I know a lot of people who are anticipating this book. I know I was, so I was super excited to read this.

The writing style is very modern, it is written like people speak which is okay but it took me some time to get used to the writing style. It is simple writing which makes it easy to read and meant that I read it pretty quickly. I can’t compare the writing to Alice Oseman’s other books as I’ve only read the Heartstopper series. I like how it approaches serious topics with a lighter tone. There are a lot of references to things in this book for example it references Scooby-Doo and Shakespeare frequently which was a nice touch but it also pulled me out of the story a little.

I enjoyed the theme of this book and I liked that it explored about questioning your sexuality. I also loved that it was about accepting yourself for who you are. I think this book will be important for people trying to figure out their sexuality. As this book has a lot of representation. There is aro/ace characters, genderqueer, non-binary, pansexual and lesbian among others.

The characters are okay, some I liked more than others. What I will say is that I enjoy and appreciate the diversity in this book. One of the reasons this wasn’t a five star read for me was because the Main character Georgia annoyed me at points. Her insecurities and how she tried forcing herself into relationships without thinking about others made me dislike her. There is a lot of peer pressure in this book too which felt a little unrealistic at points. I loved the other characters though, Sunil and Pip were two of my favourites. The university setting was okay, my university experience was nothing like the one in this book but I still enjoyed the uni setting.

Overall I did really enjoy the read, I love getting a book from the POV of someone who is aro+ace and I enjoyed overall theme. However there were a couple of things that stopped me from adoring it and I’m not sure if I will reread it again.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review!

WHERE DO I EVEN START?! This book was everything.
This was my first time delving into an Alice Oseman novel after absolutely adoring Heartstopper and it definitely did not disappoint. This book explored questioning your sexuality and accepting yourself as-well as the pressures that starting University brings and the ways that these things intertwine. From the representation, to the discussion of being a 'fresher' and the pressure that entails, the main character being from the place where I live, the small indie artists I love and the lovable and incredibly built characters... this book is a new favourite!

(A quick side note)
I requested this arc before knowing too much about what the story entailed and whilst I am so thankful to have received it, I wish own-voices received more copies for this arc, than someone like me. This is their story to love and resonate with.

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of Loveless!

And... Alice Oseman does it again!

It's amazing to have this feeling, when you're reading a book and just know it's gonna mean a lot to so many people.
This will be so important for many teens (and not-so-teens) trying to figure out who they are, and getting to term with it.
Though LGBTQ+ representation in YA is present more than ever, there are still some identities which are sadly represented. Aromantic and asexual people are part of it, as are genderqueer, non-binary, pansexual, etc.

But anyway, back to the book.
For me, Alice Oseman's strength is managing to touch on really sensitive and deep topics without ever making us feel depressed about it. Quite the opposite: she majestically manages to make us laugh at least once (and usually much more often!) in each chapter. In this book, both Roderick and the backstory of Scooby-Doo fans will probably make you laugh.
And despite this, dare I say, light tone, other things are talked about honestly and beautifully. In this one, it's being aromantic and asexual, but also being gay, not being the most social of all people, and dealing with a traumatic relationship.
It's truly important, in my humble opinion, to see yourself represented in many novels, and not only as the tragic, very much misunderstood character.

So, in here, as Becky Albertalli did with Simon, so does Alice Oseman with Georgia.
She reminds us that figuring who you are is hard as hell, and that it will likely involve some self-depreciation, but that it's okay. You get to have time to figure it out, you get to feel a bit low about it. But more than anything, you get to discover you are valid, worth it, and incredible.